Food Export Blog

In order to bring you the best of industry trends, current news, upcoming activities and more we are updating our blog more frequently than ever before! Make sure to check back every couple weeks for new posts.

From USAEDC to Food Ingredients - July 2018 Recap

The U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) Attaché Seminar took place this past July 11-12th in Arlington Virginia and members of both Food Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast were in attendance for the 2 day seminar.

Over 70 members make up USAEDC, all working to expand the export of U.S. food and agricultural exports worldwide, from groups focusing on a single commodity like soy or dairy, to groups that handle suppliers producing a diverse array of product types, like Food Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast. The conferences consistently provide an opportunity to network with other groups, meet key USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) staff and share best practices.

One of the highlights of the July conference was a half-day of one-on-one meetings between the agriculture export organizations and FAS Attachés posted in overseas markets. The meetings, taking place in a round robin format, allowed Food Export to gain valuable, current information on over 16 export markets to aid in planning and carrying out services to the exporters we serve. Staff attending also learned about priorities for future U.S. trade agreements from Gregg Doud, Chief Agricultural Negotiator of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ted McKinney, who previously served as President of the Food Export – Midwest Board of Directors while he served as Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

Exporters will see the impacts of this conference in new market webinars, more diverse buyers at upcoming missions, and new activities in the 2019 year ahead!

He accompanied USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ted McKinney, who was a past Food Export-Midwest Board President while he served as Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Some Food Export-Midwest and Northeast participating companies and other Market Access Program Cooperators were part of the mission as well.

While based in Jakarta, the mission also included buyer delegations from Malaysia and the Philippines. Participants forged relationships with potential customers and trading partners, interacted with government officials and gathered crucial market intelligence that can help them develop market strategies to establish or grow their sales. Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are all experiencing rapidly growing economies, increasing middle class populations and continuing urbanization - all factors contributing to favorable conditions for U.S. export expansion.

Take a ride through the heart of Jakarta in a “bajaj” in the video below, courtesy of Tim.

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently released a new infographic which highlights Retail Sector Prospects for U.S. Food Exporters in Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The Food Ingredients Buyers Mission took place in Chicago this year, at McCormick Place in conjunction with the 2018 Institute of Food Technologists Show from July 17th to 19th. Buyers from 15 different markets (Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia (2), Costa Rica, India, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar (3), Philippines, S. Korea, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam) were able to meet with 30 U.S. suppliers, resulting in over 300 meetings. We also were able to host guest buyers from Costa Rica, Egypt, Jordan, and Brazil.

Products of interest at the event ranged from bakery ingredients, grain and oil seed products, beverage ingredients, dairy ingredients, non-GMO or identity preserved ingredients, fats, fibers and sweeteners, snack food ingredients, fruit and vegetable ingredients, and other specialized ingredients. Science and innovation are at the cornerstone of the food ingredients industry as purchasers generally seek specific product attributes rather than special recipes developed into brands, as it is in the general retail segment.

Aside from the two days of meetings with suppliers on Sunday and Monday, the buyers were able to attend the IFT2018 tradeshow on Tuesday and Wednesday. They also attended a hosted dinner at Hub 51, where they were able to casually network with each other and enjoy some contemporary American eats in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

Soybean Farm Tour

On the last day of the IFT show our Communications Manager John Belmont accompanied a group from the USDA Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) Guangzhou, a delegation from the China Food Additives and Ingredients Association, and the Illinois Soybean Association to a soybean farm west of Chicago. It was a great chance for the Chinese delegation to learn about U.S. soybean production up close and personal.

Focused Trade Mission to Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
July 17 – 19

The Focused Trade Mission to Mexico for Retail, Foodservice, and Private Label took place from July 16th to 19th and brought 11 U.S. suppliers to Mexico City in hopes of building relationships with Mexican importers.

The mission was led by our In-Market Representatives Raul Caballero and Violeta Picazzo with assistance from Kim Hamilton from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The days started off with informative presentations by diplomats of the U.S. Embassy located in Mexico City to discuss current topics like NAFTA, tariffs, and the recent Mexican presidential election.

Suppliers were then taken on a retail tour of some of Mexico’s largest chain grocery stores including, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, City Market, and Superama to see how their local competitor’s products were marketed. On the final day of the mission U.S. suppliers sat down one-on-one with various Mexican importers. There were lots of good conversations between exporters and importers and we hope to see sales in the future as a result.

On July 21st and 22nd Food Export – Northeast Liaison Bulat Hametov attended the Gluten Free Expo held in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a small consumer show that attracts buyers from the nearby regions including Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Most of the buyers that attended either have gluten intolerance themselves or have family members that have food allergies. Almost all of the supplier companies were selling their products on-site, many even offering special pricing for the event. Several of the exhibiting companies currently participate in Food Export activities, and there were a number of prospect companies that Bulat was able to network with.

Also as part of his trip Bulat visited a number of our Massachusetts suppliers in person to reconnect and stay aware of their exporting needs.

Importer SeminarFood Export – Northeast’s Branded Program Manager Howard Gordon will be a guest speaker at an Importer Seminar happening in the Dominican Republic.

Focused Trade Mission to ChinaFood Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast will be leading a Focused Trade Mission to China and stopping in 3 cities, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen.

Focused Trade Mission to Brazil for Food IngredientsFood Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast will be leading a Focused Trade Mission to Brazil for Food Ingredients to Sao Paulo.

Webinar – A Cup of Coffee in Asia Join us on August 23rd to learn about the trends in three hot markets: Korea, Japan and Taiwan from our In-Market Representatives in those countries.

Webinar - Brazil at 2040: Customer for U.S. Agricultural and Food ExportersJoin us on August 29th for a unique learning opportunity for both experienced and new-to-export companies considering expansion to Brazil, the largest market in South America.

Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact us. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online https://www.ascr.usda.gov/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer.

Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast reserve the right to deny services to any firm or individual which, in the sole opinion of Food Export– Midwest and Food Export–Northeast, does not comply with FAS, MAP or Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast regulations or policies, or otherwise offer the best opportunity to achieve its mission of increasing food and agricultural exports. Submission of any false or misleading information may be grounds for rejection or subsequent revocation of any application or participation. Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast are equal opportunity employers and providers.